Belle Property and hockingstuart have combined their expertise, creating a new agency model where both brands will operate independently, without competition, but under the same real estate umbrella.
The merger was part of a strategic decision from the two agencies, who wanted to break from the traditional real estate mould and offer a unique proposition to the market, Belle Property CEO Peter Hanscomb said.
“The merger of Belle Property and hockingstuart combines the superior real estate services of two great Australian brands that will continue to lead the market when it comes to talent, training and technology,” he said.
The hockingstuart brand will remain across parts of Victoria, but Belle Property will start to rebrand key areas in the state, including Bayside, Peninsula and Melbourne.
Although Belle’s primary focus is premium, lifestyle areas, hockingstuart has a stronghold in Victoria’s outer suburbs.
Mr Hanscomb hopes they will be able to replicate this relationship in other states.
“While 21 of hockingstuart’s Victorian offices will now operate under the Belle Property brand, it is one combined network, and our strategy is to grow and service each brand in its respective market. Servicing differing demographics and suburbs means the brands complement, not compete,” he said.
The new agency model will also take the opportunity to update Belle’s lifestyle publisher, Sitchu, and relaunch the property magazine as Sitchu Living.
“Sitchu Living is a lifestyle-focused property magazine that includes editorial content as well as listings from across Belle Property, hockingstuart and Luxury Portfolio International — our international property partner. This kind of publication has not been seen before in our industry and is another integral part of our strategy to bring together multiple brands to offer market-leading solutions,” he said.
“As we continue to build our brands, our number one priority remains our people. We strive to recruit and retain the best and brightest across real estate, and we do this by offering continuous opportunity for growth, not to mention cutting-edge training and technology.”
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